The Ends of The Earth
by sunshinetuna1
Summary: Takes place at the end of You Say You Want a Revolution. This is my take on what could have happened if not everyone agreed with the embargo being lifted.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Missing

AN: This takes place during the episode, You Say You Want a Revolution. Everything was the same until the ceremony at the end.

It was almost the end of the trip. It made Alison sad, she was finally enjoying herself and counted herself lucky that she got to be a part of the historic moment in front of her. She knew she shouldn't take it for granted. She had been taking pictures of the ceremony all day. She would take pictures of the US flag and the way it flew in the breeze, and of her mom and her dad and the look of love in his eyes. She had been about to snap a picture when she heard faint ticking...and then BOOM.

The scene of the bomb was chaos. People were scrambling in every possible direction, there were people who had been hit and the McCord family were being ushered to safety. When Elizabeth and Henry were reunited inside the consulate mere moments later, the were relieved. Inside they patiently waited for Alison. "Hey Matt, do you know where Ali is?" Elizabeth asked. "Let me find out Ma'am. He speaks into his walkie talkie, can any one give a whereabouts on hummingbird?" (Hummingbird is Alisons code name). "This is Frank, not with me." "Officer Moore, not with me". "Officer Patterson, that's a negative over here." "Code blue hummingbird, Matt said into his walkie talkies and into the room. At that moment every DS agent stopped what they were doing and scrambled off in every possible direction looking for Alison. Code blue was something that they didn't use often, being the internal code for missing. "Ma'am, it appears that none of the DS agents has Alison with them. I have sent them all off to find her. It's possible that in the melee she just got disoriented. We will find her." Matt said.

"Missing". The word hung in Elizabeths mind. She almost passed out when she heard that her daughter was missing. She had been through this before, in India after the chemical explosion and they couldn't locate Alison for several minutes, but this time something felt different, more serious. It made Elizabeth nauseous and faint. Henry, who saw the colour drain from Elizbeths face reached out to try and calm her in any way he could. "Hey honey, DS will find her, she is probably under a chair or table or something. If not that then she is probably on her way back here trying to get into the consulate to be reunited with us. Don't worry okay." He took her into his arms and hugged her.

Word had travelled back to the White House and the presidents office about the bomb. "How are Elizabeth, Henry and Alison?" Conrad asked Russell. "From what I gather from her staff and DS, Elizabeth and Henry are safe inside the consulate, it is on lock down and DS are looking for Alison. They think she just might have hidden under something when the bomb happened." Russell said. "I hope so. Please keep me posted. This is my priority today." Conrad said.

"How long have they been looking for her?" Elizabeth asked Henry. She felt like time had stopped. "It's been almost 30 minutes." He said. "That's a long time, I don't know why they can't find her. She couldn't have gone far. Ali, where are you?" Elizabeth said. Henry didn't really know what to say to her. He was worried about Alison, the bomb, whether or not she was injured and that was why they couldn't find her. He also knew that to avoid a full blown panic attack from his wife he would put it to the back of his mind and just focus on Elizabeth. He figured it was a better way to be productive than to check his watch every 5 seconds. "I know that Alison is a smart girl, I also know that she could be scared. What did she always do as a kid when thunder would come by?" Henry asked his wife. "She used to hide." Elizabeth said while cracking a small smile, clearly thinking back to an earlier memory. "See, so this is nothing new. She's probably just hiding and waiting for the chaos to die down. I'm sure we will have her in our arms soon." Henry said.

"Perimeter secure. No sign of Hummingbird." said Officer Patterson. "Hummingbird is a negative in the staging area as well" Frank said. After that Matt received a few more radio calls from various areas of the scene all with the response that they didn't find Alison. Matt, took a moment. He wasn't exactly sure how to deliver the news that he and his agents had spent the last two hours scouring every possible part of the site, confirming with emergency services personnel and visiting every hospital in a 2 hour radius and no one had Alison, nor had anyone recalled seeing her in the moments after the blast.

"Ma'am, Henry, please sit down" Matt said. "Where is Ali? Is she okay? How fast can we get to her?" Elizabeth asked. "We have spent the last two hours scouring every inch of this site, we have looked in things, under things, behind and above things. No one has seen Alison since prior to the blast. We have spoken with emergency services personnel in the event that she was injured, and had an agent search every hospital within 2 hours of here. There is no sign of her. We will not rest until we find her. I assure you of that. I'm sorry that this isn't the news that you want to hear." Matt said as he got up to leave.

"Oh my gosh. Henry, what has happened to our girl?" Elizabeth said. At that moment the nervous feeling in her stomach became a noticeable ache and nausea. She went pale again, put her hand over her mouth and ran out of the room, Henry trailing behind her. Once she was finished vomiting, she sat against the bathroom wall beside Henry. "What if something really bad has happened?" She asked. "Then we will deal with it when we know what happened. Until then, we move heaven and earth to find out where she is." Henry said. With that Elizabeth got up, rinsed out her mouth and grabbed her phone from her pocket. She called her team, she realized that she hadn't checked in to see if they were all okay. "We are all okay. Thank you for asking. I got the staff on a plane. Blake and I are still here. We got checked over by medical and released. We are on our way to the consulate now. DS told me about Alison. Is there anything that we can do?" Nadine asked. "Thanks Nadine, I really appreciate you handling the staff. Henry and I are okay. I'm trying to reach the President Barzan but he isn't returning my calls." Elizabeth said. "Okay, Ma'am, my phone is about to lose power. Blake has lost his in the blast. We will be there soon." Nadine said to Elizabeth. "Change of plans she told the driver, President Barzan's office. NOW". She said.

10 minutes later, she was standing in front of the president of Cuba. She patiently waited for him to finish his phone call. "Hello Ms. Tolliver. How can I help you?" the president asked. "The bomb at the embassy has separated the Secretary and her daughter. Her private security hasn't yet been able to find her. You need to get your chief of police involved in this. Alison will be back with her parents unharmed or so help me, I will find a way to implicate you in this bombing." Nadine said in her no-nonsense voice. "Ms. Tolliver, I can assure you, the chief of police and his officers are trying to find the culprits and that I have NOTHING to do with this bomb. I will talk to the chief and get them to look for Alison."President Barzan said.

TBC


	2. Ransom

Chapter 2: Ransom

AN**I took the liberty of making POTUS and his wife Lydia Alison's godparents. I figured it was possible, since Elizabeth and Henry and POTUS and FLOTUS knew each other for so long**

With his assurance that the full force of the Cuban police would get involved, Nadine left his office. She got in the car and headed to the consulate.

When she arrived at the consulate she found Elizabeth and Henry on a sofa, eyes closed, clearly trying to catch a moment of peace in the chaos. She closed the door to that room and found Blake on the land line phone in the other room, liaising with the State Department. "Blake, the Cuban police are on board." Nadine said.

"Good. Jay is going over security reports and media video of the blast to see if there is anything unusual. He will keep me posted." Blake said. "How are you doing Blake?" Nadine noticed the hitch in his voice, the fact that at some point his blazer had become undone and he hadn't bothered to do it up and the fact that he was shaking a bit. "I'm okay, it's just that i've never been particularly fond of loud noises and all of that. I will be fine." he said. Nadine walked over and hugged him and let him linger in that hug for a few moments.

The loud ringing of the land line startled both of them. "Hello Jay (he was the only one that had the number), what is going on?" Blake asked. "Do you have internet? I know who has Alison. Check the secretarys email." Jay said, breathless. "Internet hasn't been restored here, what is going on?"Blake asked, while signalling Nadine to grab the other receiver so that she could listen in as well. "It seems that a bomb was planted by a militant group that don't want the embargo lifted. When it went off, one of their men, who was posing as a guest grabbed Alison so that she would get separated from her parents on purpose." Jay said. Nadine had to swallow the rising panic in her throat. "I thought that we vetted everyone that was in attendance there. This person had to have known that they would eventually be found out. I will go alert the secretary and Dr. McCord." Nadine said.

When Blake finished on the call they both took a deep breath and walked into the room that the secretary had been relaxing in. This time both Elizabeth and Henry were awake and looked scared. "Ma'am, we have on Alison. Jay was scouring all the media and private videos of the ceremony and saw a video, just after the bomb exploded. It appears that someone from one of the militant groups in the area took Alison because they didn't want the embargo lifted." Nadine said, a hint of panic in her voice. "So Alison has been kidnapped?" Elizabeth said. "It appears so. Jay is filling in POTUS as we speak. I expect that he will be calling soon." Nadine said. As if he was psychic the phone in the nearby office rang. Blake picked up. "Yes, sir, just one moment please. Ma'am, POTUS for you."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, let it out and then walked over and took the phone from Blake.

E- Hello Conrad

C- How are you and Henry holding up?

E- Hanging in

C- Just wanted to let you know that I've brought the entire security council together, strat com is working on physical removal (once we locate where she has been taken). Our assets in the area are involved and trying to locate where Ali is physically. This is everyones top priority and I promise you that we will find her. You and Henry stay in the embassy as long as you need. We can send Jason and Stevie to be with you guys should you want it. On a personal note, I told Lydia what happened. Being that Alison is our god daughter, I thought that this would be okay. She said a prayer. If you two need anything, just ask.

E- It's okay that Lydia knows. I kind of thought that you would tell her. Keep me posted with what is going on. As soon as they find her please let us know. We will let you know if we need anything.

And then the phone call ends. "Nadine, please call deputy secretary Cushing and bring him in while we are here." Elizabeth asks. "Secretary Cushing is already there Ma'am. Jay got him in earlier." Nadine said.

"What did Conrad say?" Henry asked Elizabeth. " Just that basically everyone possible is working to find Ali. He wants us to stay here until she is found and to let him know if we need anything." she said as Henry mumbled, we need our daughter back.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth was on the phone with Stevie, Henry was working on a plan with DS and Blake and Nadine were trying to figure out ways to back channel anything they could when there was a glitch in the power. All of a sudden, Elizabeth and Henry's cell phones started to ring and the tv in the embassys front room came on. Elizabeth looked down at her cell phone and could see that she had internet access again. She told Stevie she loved her, and opened her email. She asked Henry to call Jason so he left the room. At the very moment Elizabeth got into her email, the phone rang again. It was Jay. Elizabeth saw it. An email entitled we have your daughter.

"Blake, can you make it so I can see this email on the tv screen please?" She asked as she handed over her phone. Once hooked up, Elizabeth took her phone back and opened the email. On the screen came a man, in camoflague with a gun in his hand. He was no where they could make out right away.

"We are the exembargo militia group. We have your daughter and you will keep the embargo in place, not call the policia and pay us $5 million dollars if you want her back. I will tell you though, the longer it takes for you to comply with these demands the less likely you are to get her back.

TBC


	3. Scared

Chapter 3: Scared

AN: I'm not Spanish, nor do I speak Spanish. I am using Google translate so I apologize if anything doesn't follow proper grammar rules.

**This whole chapter is all from Alisons POV**

What a beautiful day. The sun is out, the sky is blue and the US flag is waving so cool in the wind. I'm going to get out my phone and take a picture, was what Alison was thinking that morning. She was only sort of paying attention to her moms speech when she heard some ticking. She didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening when the explosion happened.

For what felt like hours, I sat there, not exactly sure what happened. "Alison McCord, you need to come with us, we will bring you to safety" a man says. He doesn't look familiar to me, I don't think hes one of my moms DS agents. He could be one of the Cuban officers hired to help as well. I felt my arms being yanked behind my back and tied together and something being slipped over my eyes. I tried to scream but it was so loud that i don't think anyone could hear me. I was being dragged, by a strange man, into a car. When we sat in the car, I tried kicking the man, thinking maybe if I could kick him I could get out but with my bound arms and a blindfold on, that was very difficult. We were in the car for what felt like an eternity and when it came to a stop I was dragged into a room. It wasn't until I was in the room that my arms were freed and the blind fold was removed.

It took me a moment to get my bearings. I had no idea where I was, except that the room was small and cold and dark and I was sitting on a damp floor. There was a guard in the room with me and I used my best high school Spanish and asked Donde estoy (Where am I?) The guard looked over at me, spit and opened his newspaper to start reading. Clearly these were not friendly people. I was just starting to figure out a plan when my stomach grumbled. Tengo hambre I said. The guard got up, walked to the door of the room opened the door and shouted something out. He as talking to quickly that I couldn't make out exactly what was being said. I also had a bit of a headache from when the bomb went off. When the guard sat down without saying anything to me, I leaned back against the wall, held my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. I knew it wasn't but I was secretly hoping this was all a bad dream.

I had no idea how long I had my eyes closed for when I was yelled at. "Food" the guard yelled. I opened my eyes, looked down and saw a plate with a chunk of bread, a banana and a glass of water. I ate the bread and the banana and drank the water and the guard gathered my plate. I closed my eyes again and leaned back against the wall. Bano, por favor. I said. The guard got up, "Stand up" he said. He proceeded to yank my hands behind my back again, and put on the blindfold. "Go" he yelled. It was slow going to the bathroom, every so often being told a direction but when I got there and they took off the restraints and the guard left the room, I quickly looked to see if I could find a window. I climb out and run. And keep running until I knew for sure that I was safe, then I would call mom. She will come and get me. I looked around, there were no windows that I could see. "Hurry up" the guard said in broken english. His voice was so harsh, it scared me. I finished what I was doing, washed my hands, rinsed my face and took a few deep breaths. I also took the moment to let a few tears escape. "Turn around" the guard said as he opened the door, making me jump. He restrained me again, and I followed his directions back to the room that I started in. Once again I was freed. I stared to get tired and cold, can I have a blanket please? "No blanket" the guard said. So I laid down as best as I could on the floor doing my best to cover up as much as possible and fell asleep.

When I woke up, I had no idea what time it was, but noticed that I had a different guard. He noticed me moving, opened the door of the room, yelled out something and then moments later another plate of bread, banana and water showed up. Again, we went through the bathroom routine and I was brought back to the room. I sat with my knees up, wrapping my arms around myself. I can't help but shiver at how cold and damp it is here and I can't shut out the sound of my throbbing head. I lean my head forward to rest on my knees and start to wonder what my parents are doing and if I am ever going to see them, or Stevie or Jason again.


	4. Meanwhile

Chapter 4: Meanwhile

Once Elizabeth and Henry saw that ransom video, they started to formulate a plan. "Blake, can you please get me some paper and a pen" Elizabeth asks. "Okay so if I cash out my retirement savings, and this is what we could sell the house for. If we sold the barn and used your retirement savings, I think we should be able to easily come up with the $5 million dollars." Elizabeth says. "Elizabeth, you know that Conrad isn't going to let us pay the ransom. We don't negotiate with terrorists. He would say." Henry said. "This isn't just any normal American citizen this is our daughter and if $5 million is going to be what it takes to get her home, then even if I have to rob a bank, I will get the money. I just want her in my arms again." Elizabeth said, a slight hitch in her voice. "I know honey, I want her back too and I am all for paying the ransom and anything else they want, heck at this point if they wanted a lung I would give it to them. But we have to let POTUS take the lead on this. He is far more level headed than we are. Look let me call him and see if they have any information." Henry said. He stands up and is about to leave when Nadine walks in the room. "Ma'am Dr. McCord the president is on the phone and he would like to speak with you. Please have a seat. I'm going to put him on speaker." Nadine says as she leans over and presses some buttons on the phone in the room and connects us. "Mr President I have the secretary and Dr. McCord connected." She says. She takes a spot in the corner of the room near the door, so that she is still present in the room if needed and yet can slip out if personal details that are none of her business are shared or if a call to her cell phone comes in.

C- Bess, Henry how are you both holding up?

E- As well as can be expected given the circumstances. We have decided that we want to pay the ransom. I know we dont negotiate for hostages, but given who the hostage is, I thought that maybe...

C- Actually, Ephraim Ware and Oliver Shaw have been working on this and we traced the ransom video to a location. There are two fleets of soldiers headed that way and they have been given explicit instructions through Admiral Hill to let us know before they raid. This is a search and rescue mission. The plan is they raid and find Alison and then we get her safely to you in the embassy. Your office has arranged for a medic to be standing by. We dont know what injuries if any, Alison has. The Cuban police will provide them with an armed escort.

E- That is good to hear sir. How long do you think it will take the operation?

Admiral Hill- Hello Elizabeth, ground troops have just arrived in Cuba from Mexico and Florida and they should be at the compound within the hour. We have about 50 service people there. The leader is Captain Michael Jenkins. He has been briefed on what Alison looks like and was personally trained by me. If I were kidnapped I would want him to rescue me.

C- Bess, please don't worry about anything. Now that your internet is back up and running, Oliver Shaw is working with Blake and Nadine to try and get you patched in to the video feed for us here in the sit room. You wont be able to talk to them but we will connect on the phone and we can relay anything. We are going to hang up but will call as soon as all the soldiers get to the compound. You two keep well. We are all thinking about you.

Blake walks over to the tv, his cell phone on his ear, "okay, I see that. Uh-huh, okay, it says Post 1,2,3 or AUX. Good, perfect. Thank you so much. You too and he hangs up. Okay Ma'am Oliver Shaw worked yet another one of his miracles and got us connected to the screen in the sit room. So we can see what they all see. While you were on the phone I went ahead and made you and Dr. McCord up a fruit plate. The embassy wasn't prepared for long term visitors so early so all that was in the kitchen was fruit. If you would like something more substantial I can go out and procure something." Blake said. "Thank you Blake. I am not hungry right now, but if possible, I would love a tea. Only if there are the components here, please don't go out. Henry, will have one as well." Elizabeth says as Blake scurries off.

"Why is this taking so long. I hope she is okay. What if she's not okay Henry? What if they didn't keep her safe? What if...what if she's not alive? I couldn't live with myself if I was the cause of it." Elizabeth said, while rambling quickly. Henry had to put a hand on her back to try and help steady her, he was worried she would start to hyperventilate and have a panic attack and that would not be good for anyone, their daughter especially. "Elizabeth, I'm pretty sure that Ali is still alive. They haven't gotten their ransom, so if they killed her, the would ensure that they aren't getting it. Whatever other issues there are, we will handle. There will be a medic standing by to at least give her immediate help if she needs it. And I'm here and a fleet of DS agents. If she needs professional help, then we will get it. I'm sure Dr. Sherman can recommend someone for Alison to talk to if she needs it. No matter what happens we will get her checked out at the U of F hospital in Miami where she will get excellent care." Henry said as Blake dropped off two cups of tea. "Ma'am, while you were on the phone with POTUS, Nadine got a call from your detail. Apparently the pilot of your plane advised that the rotor in one of the engines isn't working. There are parts available but they won't be ready in time for you to leave the island if you leave today so the White House has made one their best military planes available. A few of the DS agents have gone to do a sweep of the plane, and its being gassed up. It is ready and waiting for your exclusive use whenever you need it and the air base at Camp Blanding is being readied. They will chopper you and Ali to the hospital should it be necessary." Blake said.

"Thank you Blake and you as well Nadine for everything. Also, will one of you please thank the others in the office. I know they have been working just as hard as you two and have likely been burning the midnight oil as well." Elizabeth said.

"Bess, they are in place" Conrad said. Elizabeth and Henry see the troops and the weapons and they can hear Captain Jenkins introduce himself. They must have been advised that I would be watching. Elizabeth thought to herself...


	5. Rescue

Chapter 5: Mixed emotions

AN: Ack, I had almost the entire chapter written but stupid me forgot to save it and the internet went down at the library where I was writing it. So this is the new chapter. I dont always prewrite my chapters sometimes just going with the flow. This one is a long one.

 **Alison POV**

I'm sitting in this room, knees to my chest, shivering so much it's all I hear. I am so cold, and tired and my head hurts so much and my eyes hurt. I miss my parents and Stevie and even Jason. I know that he annoys me all the time and there are days when I want to kill him but I would kill for him everyday. I feel so sad, I just want to cry. Crying will come later. I really don't want this guard or any guard to see me crying. "Bano por favor" I say. I don't really have to go to the bathroom but I just need to change the scary thoughts that are creeping into my head and maybe leaving this room, even temporarily will do that.

The guard earlier was not very nice, but at least he let me get up on my own before binding my hands behind my back and putting on the blindfold. I don't really know why the blindfold is necessary. It's not like I can tell someone where I am from the inside of a building. This guard grabs my arm and yanks me up. He leans forward and blindfolds me and I find myself almost screaming in pain all of a sudden. My shoulder is killing me. I dont know what he did, but it didn't hurt when I was sitting down. We walk to the bathroom, I already know where it is. I counted the number of steps between each point and the next junction. We get to the bathroom and I expect to be left alone. But this guard is different. He walks in with me. He takes of the blindfold and stands in the corner. I go into the stall and as I'm about to lock it, the guard kicks the door open. "NO DOOR" he yells. I practically jump. The guard turns around and I finish what I am doing. I take a deep breath and try to reach down and pull my pants up. It is excruciating and I almost want to scream but I dont. He binds my arms again, this time twisting my arm so badly that i feel a snap. Now my arm hurts too.

I am lead back to the room, more like a dungeon and crawl back to the corner, back with my knees to my chest and put my head down. I send up a silent prayer and sigh. I am starting to lose faith...

 **Elizabeth POV**

Slowly 50 troops walk towards the property. The troops are holding their guns out in front. As soon as they get within shooting range I can see that they are being met with enemy fire. The troops make quick work of the outside of the building. Once they know that there are no more enemies on the outside they quickly gather and Captain Jenkins gives everyone their orders. They are to look in different areas of the compound for Alison, busting open locked doors if needed, looking inside things, under things, on top or behind things. They are to look for trap doors or rogue staircases anywhere that a person could be hidden. They group breaks off and everyone scatters. I can hear Admiral Hill dictating things to the team, but I am far to focused on the video to hear what is being said inside the building with Captain Jenkins and a few other officers. They open every door, some open easily, most need some force. They search high and low in every room and every so often shots are fired. Captain, I found some stairs, one of the troops calls out. He and his men, having secured every room, head for the stairs. Once at the bottom they are immediately barraged with gun fire and they fire back. It doesn't take long for them to overpower the militia member and they move on. They follow the maze of hallways and rooms and are about to give up when Jenkins sees a door handle. He walks up to the door, turns the knob and lets out a single shot. The guard in the room lies there. Jenkins turns the small corner in the room and thats when he sees it. Sees her. Alison. He has found her. She is alive. Henry and I finally hear what we have been dying to hear, Alison is alive.

I feel like I got my hearing back after that. "Hello Alison, I'm Michael Jenkins, I have been sent by President Dalton and your mom to come and save you. I know that you got taken by someone that you don't know but I want to let you know hear someone." Captain Jenkins says as he leans down and gives his ear piece to Alison while Admiral Hill gives hers to the president. "Hi Ali, I want you to know that Captain Jenkins is going to do everything in his power to get you to your parents. You need to listen to him. It wont take long before you are reunited with your parents. They are still in Cuba. We are all so glad that you are okay. Bess, Henry is there anything that you want to say?" Potus says as he leans forward towards the phone speaker. "Hi Noodle. Daddy and I are so glad to see your beautiful self. We love you so much and can't wait to hug you. Do what Captain Jenkins tells you to do and we will be here waiting to hug you so hard. Miss you Noodle. Love you."Henry and I say.

I look over at Henry, we smile, she is alive. She may be injured and she may be traumatized but that can all be fixed. I reach over and hug my husband and we are glued back to the screen again.

 **Alisons POV**

I am hearing a lot of gun shots, I hope that means that someone has come to rescue me. Who am I kidding, I,m probably well hidden and they will never find me and I will die here. I don't want to die here. I want to go to University and get married and have a family and see my family again. Maybe if I can figure out a way to get up and kick the guard I can try and escape. I can follow the sound of the gun fire. Its unlikely that that much gunfire is coming from just one person. I can hear the gun shots getting louder. I can't help but smile a tiny bit. This has to be someone to come and rescue me. I lean my head down and close my eyes to pretend that I am sleeping. I have no idea how long I am pretending when the gun fire stops and it is dead silent. We are again left to our selves, just the guard and me. I feel a rising dread in my whole body. Maybe that was someone who tried to rescue me but was unsuccessful. Maybe it was a rival gang, but all of a sudden I feel like I am going to be sick. I take several deep breaths and manage to tame the urge. I am just starting to settle into the dread again when in a blur the door bursts open, the guard is shot and there is a soldier staring at me.

Where is this one taking me, I wonder. Then I hear him speak. "Hello Alison, I'm Michael Jenkins, I have been sent by President Dalton and your mom to come and save you. I know that you got taken by someone that you don't know but I want to let you know hear someone" he takes the ear piece out of his ear and leans forward to me. I take with my non sore arm and put it in my ear. "Hi Ali, I want you to know that Captain Jenkins is going to do everything in his power to get you to your parents. You need to listen to him. It wont take long before you are reunited with your parents. They are still in Cuba. We are all so glad that you are okay. Bess, Henry is there anything that you want to say?" the president says. Then I hear the voice I have been so anxious to hear. The voice I thought I would never hear again. "Hi Noodle. Daddy and I are so glad to see your beautiful self. We love you so much and can't wait to hug you. Do what Captain Jenkins tells you to do and we will be here waiting to hug you so hard. Miss you Noodle. Love you" mom and dad kiss me over the phone and I smile. That was what I needed to keep going. I hand the ear piece back to Captain Jenkins and he scoops me up bridal style. I want to tell him I think I can walk but my whole body is achy and I don't know how long the walk is going to be. "Alison, please listen to me. Right now, we are just Alison and Michael and we are going for a walk to get to your parents. I need you to put our arms around me and hold on. You may also want to plug your ears, as there may be some gunfire before we get out." He says and I nod. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my head in his shoulder as he starts walking.

I am slowly realizing that Michael is a good guy and I can feel a stray tear fall. I am in pain and exhausted and scared and sad and numb all at the same time. I hear Michael trying to tell me something but nothing seems to get through. Everything is so fuzzy in my head, it's hard to process anything. As we are walking, Michael stops and I hear a gunshot. Somehow this one scares me more than the rest and I find that the sound not only caused me to jump but also to pee a little. I feel immediately embarrassed because it means peeing on Michael. We walk a little more, and all of a sudden it is a lot brighter than it was a few moments ago. I can feel the sun on my face, we are outside. A small smile creeps in. I feel softness underneath me and I open my eyes. We are in a car. Immediately I start to get scared. "Alison, please don't worry. We will be at the embassy in about 10 minutes." Michael says. I visibly start to relax a little knowing that means I am 10 minutes away from my parents. I lean my head against the window of the car. It is so nice and cool. We stop in front of the embassy and my parents are there waiting for me.

 **Elizabeth POV:**

Henry and I are watching as Alison is carried out to the waiting car. Captain Jenkins is being so good to her, so gentle. I must remember to thank him for his gentle spirit. As they turn a corner, Jenkins pulls out his gun and shoots that militia member. Alison jumped at that shot, I don't blame her. It's not easy to process all these sights and sounds. Ali keeps her eyes closed and her ears plugged and they keep going. They finally get to an exit door and into a waiting car. The car is being guided by Cuban police escort. Once in the car Jenkins comes on the radio."Sparrow is safe and we are on the move. ETA to the rendez vous point about 10 minutes". Henry and I don't wait to see what comes next. We get up. "Let's go wait for our daughter." Henry says. I love that we are on the same page. We walk out of the room and let Blake know that we are doing. He smiles so big and goes off in the opposite direction. Within 2 minutes of us getting outside the embassy there are 3 DS agents, the Cuban chief of police, the Presidents chief of Staff, Nadine, the doctor and Henry and I. "Hello Ma'am, Sir. My name is Dr. Ana Hernandez. I am the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the private physician to the President and I am here to make sure that Alison is okay enough for her to get to the States. I hope you don't mind that I wait with you. It may be easier to triage Alison in the car depending on what injuries she may have if any." She says as she shakes both of our hands. I look over to the Cuban presidents chief of staff and I mouth the words thank you. He smiles back. Now we just stand here and wait...


	6. Chapter 6

**Alison POV:**

It may sound silly but I was started to think I would never see these amazing people again. Just seeing them makes me feel a bit better. I lean away from the door and dad opens it. I take a deep breath and he and mom climb into the car as Michael gets out the other side. They close the car doors and it is just us. I lean forward to hug them both and it feels like time stops.

Dad helps me out of the car. This is the first time that I have really had the chance to stand freely on my own in a few days and it's like I'm just learning how to walk for the first time. I almost stumble a few times, but dad is there taking most of my weight as we walk into the embassy. I see a couch and head towards it. I'm feeling a little dizzy and light headed and if I pass out, the couch is more comfortable than the floor. Dad helps me sit down gently and then sits on the floor in front of me. Mom takes her seat beside me on the couch, grabs my right hand and doesn't let go. Dad puts each of his hands on my legs and I cling to him. In this moment I focus on him and only him. There is a knock on the door and Blake walks in with a lady I've never seen before. "Hi, Alison, my name is Dr. Hernandez. I am here to help you feel better so that you can get a plane for America. I'm going to try and be as quick as possible. The quicker we get the through this the faster you can get home" She says. "Home" I sigh. It feels like forever since i've been home and feels like forever until I will get back home. Dad rubs my legs with his hands as I sigh. "Can you tell me if anything hurts?" she says. Yes, my whole body. She just looks at me. Come on brain and mouth, work with me here. She takes it another way. "Alison, Im going to take a look at your eyes, I can see they are swollen and a little red. Can you open them really wide for me please? The doctor asks. She shines a bright light in my eye. "An eye doctor can better assess this but it looks like she may have a corneal abrasion. She is going to need antibiotic drops. Once you get to Florida, I'm sure they will give her something for the pain. Alison, I know your eyes hurt, please dont rub them. It will just make them hurt more." She said. "Okay now lets take care of your shoulder. It looks to be dislocated. I would pop it back into place, but I dont have the strength required or the items needed to do it safely. So we are going to do some first aid. It will likely be the first thing they attend to at the hospital. Ma'am, can you please pass me the pillow beside you? I'm going to put this under your arm. I will be gentle but there may still be a little bit of pain." Dr. Hernandez says. She moves my arm just slightly and I yelp in pain. She puts my arm back down so that the pillow is trapped between my arm and my side and then takes off her belt and wraps it around me. "It's not prefect but this will immobilize her arm enough to get her to the hospital." the doctor says.

Mom, who has been sitting beside me, holding my hand the entire time looks at Blake. "Blake can you get my purse and a glass of water please?" she asks. He hands her the purse and she starts going through it. "Ah hah, found them." Mom says. She hands me the water and two pills. "Here, take these Advil. They should help with the pain a bit. They won't take it all away but its a help." She says. I let of her hand and reach for the glass with my free hand, and I start to shiver again. It's not that I am not still cold, I am, its just that with one arm bound down and the other holding moms hand tightly the shivering stopped. I reach for the water but am kind of clumsy in my movements. Mom sees this and helps. "Open up" she puts the pills on my tongue and dad holds the glass so I can drink from it. The water is so cool on my tongue and I down the whole glass. "Do you want more? Blake.." Mom says. "No." that water really did help clear a bit of the fog. "Head hurts" I am able to say. The doctor rushes over with her bag and looks at me. "Please look at the tip of this pen. Good. Can you follow it with your eyes please?" she asks she moves it from side to side and up and down. Did you hit your head when the bomb went off?" She asks while doing other tests. "I don't know. I know that my head hurts a lot and I have a headache." I say slowly, like I was trying to formulate the answer in my head before telling her. "Im going to look for cuts and bruises. Can you stand up for me please?" the doctor asks. Dad takes his hands off my legs, mom lets go of my hand and I start to stand. I wobble a little while doing so. I lean on dad who is right beside me. It's nice to have him beside me. The doctor looks around me and sees no evidence of any kind of cuts or bruises (other the ones on my wrists from being bound) and asks me to sit back down.

"Madam Secretary, Dr McCord can I please speak with you both in the hallway. "Noodle, Dad and I are going into the hallway with the doctor to talk for a second. Blake is going to sit with you until I get back. She leans in and kisses my head. I'm still holding her hand when she gets up. My inner self is petrified with everything that has happened and just wants to make sure that I don't lose mom again. She has to physically pry my hand from hers. Within a split second, mom is up and Blake is in her place. "Lets talk over here, I want Ali to still be able to see us." I hear mom say.

 **Elizabeth POV**

"After assessing your daughter, I feel like she has a mild concussion. It's possible that the force of the explosion knocked her down and she hit her head. Her pupils are sluggish, her reaction time is poor, she complains of a headache and she is fairly dizzy upon standing. The hospital can run further tests to confirm for sure. The best thing for her is to rest mentally and physically. Normally I would advise against flying so soon after the onset but I know how badly Alison wants to go home so I will clear her to fly. Please make sure she gets somewhere to sit down, lying down would be better. Also keep her as hydrated as possible. She may be sensitive to loud noises and light, you will have to deal with those accordingly. It's possible that the added pressure of flying could make her nauseous so just a heads up there. As for her shoulder. It appears to be dislocated. The hospital can fix that up fairly quickly. It is so important that Ali keep her arm as still as possible until she is seen to at the hospital. The shivering is likely her bodies reaction to the cold room she was in. Now her shivering is possibly the result of her bodies reaction to the adrenaline that is slowly fading now that she is safe and can let her guard down." The doctor takes a deep breath. "Do you have Ali's luggage still? If there is anything warm in it, you may want to put her into it. Your goal with clothing is warm and dry. It doesn't have to be clean. Then I would suggest getting her on the plane and getting her to the states. Then when she is cleared there, getting her home. Home will be where she will heal the most. Your daughter has gone through a mental, phsyical and emotional trauma. This is going to take time to get better. I would also advise getting her a therapist. Often times people deal with the physical injuries and forget about the mental and emotional ones. Is there anything else that I can help with right now?" doctor Hernandez says. "Thank you so much for all of this, it was reassuring to both me and my husband to know that she was in good hands." I say as I reach out to shake her hand. I turn towards Alison as I hear Henry say "Yes thank you again. Can I walk you out?" he says. The doctor nods, and they leave the room.


	7. Journey pt 1

AN: I got a temp job that has been keeping me busy. I meant to update this sooner and will do my best to keep it as up to date as possible.

Alison POV:

I'm just sitting in one spot. Still. Quiet. Everything hurts, my thoughts are fuzzy and not having mom beside me, is scaring me. I know Blake is gentle and kind, but he's not mom. I can still see her talking to the doctor but I want her beside me, not several feet away from me. Mom walks over, grabs my hand and is sitting beside me again. I hear people saying things, and dad putting clothes on my lap but I really don't know what is happening. Mom stares straight at me, gently guides my chin towards her face, looks at me directly and says "Baby, we need to get you into clothes that are warm and dry. Can you stand up?". I nod slowly and start to stand up with mom and dads help. "Take your time, we will go at your pace." mom says. Mom, dad and I walk into the bathroom and dad leaves the room. I don't want to get changed in front of anyone. I don't want anyone to see me. I know I look gross, I feel gross but I don't want anyone to see it, even if it is mom. "Look sweetheart, I will be gentle and careful. If something hurts, we will stop" she says. I try and think of my words but can't seem to put together coherent sentences. I start to take off my shirt. "Help", I say. Mom looks over, sits me down on the toilet seat and starts to take off my shirt. She starts on the good side and she gets my arm out. We get to the other side and I wince in pain when she gets near my shoulder. She turns to leave, but doesn't actually go. She says something to the door but I have no idea what. Then in a few moments, scissors are slid under the door. She grabs the scissors, looks at me, says something I can't make out, I nod and she starts cutting my shirt. Once my shirt was off, mom puts a warm shirt on me. I don't really know if she looked to see if I have any bruises but I don't care anymore. I smell the sweatshirt that is on, it smells like Mom and I start to wonder if it is her shirt. It is warm and comforting and I am happy to be wearing it.

"Stand up, slowly, Noodle. We need to change your pants." I hear stand up and Noodle. I lean a bit forward and stand up, feeling mom bracing me as needed. She undoes the button on my jeans and pulls them down. I start to feel embarrassed because I've had an accident and I'm pretty sure she will be able to tell. She doesn't say anything if she does notice. She motions for me to lift my leg and the jeans come off as some sweat pants go on. She grabs my hand and we slowly head toward the door.

Dad is there and wraps his arm around me. Then we walk out of the embassy and into the car. Dad helps me into the car, buckles me in and then all of us are off. Mom, who is sitting beside me, holds my hand. I lean my head against the window and close my eyes.

"Noodle, sweetheart, wake up." Dad says. "How long was I sleeping?" I ask. I don't actually feel any better now than I did earlier. "Only about 10 minutes. I really didn't want to wake you up but I thought that you might want to get a plane and go home. We can stay here longer, if you are comfortable and want to sleep more. The plane will wait." Dad says, smiling. "Home" I say and dad slowly leans over and unbuckles my seat belt and helps me out of the car. I look for mom frantically and am starting to panic when I see her out of the corner of my eye. I walk forward and grab her hand and she leans over and kisses me on the forehead. I am put at ease. I take a deep breath and let out a bit of a sigh as we walk towards the stairs for the plane. I take the first step and stop. Dad, who is right in front of me, looks around and steps back down the stairs. Before I know it he has picked me up bridal style in his arms and is carrying me up the steps of the plane.

When we get inside the plane, he puts me down. I look around "this isn't moms plane" I say. "I know, it's safe and just as good. They wouldn't let us take it if it wasn't safe" mom says. We walk to the bench seating. I sit down fairly close to the front in between mom and dad. Blake sits beside dad and Michael, my rescuer, sits across from us beside a few other military and people I don't recognize. Dad helps me get buckled in and then sits down and gets buckled himself. I feel the familiar butterflies I always get when I'm in a plane and it takes off and then we are in the air. I start to shiver again, the plane is cold and I start to cry. The pain I was feeling before was nothing compared to this. Dad takes off his jacket and puts it around me and for a short moment I stop shivering but then it starts again and I am being wrapped in Blakes jacket as well. I'm still not warm, but I shiver less. I close my eyes and just try and relax. It seems to be working and slowly my eyes close and I am sleeping. After sleeping for what feels like 5 minutes, I am awoken by unrelenting nausea in my stomach and jack hammer pain in my head. I open my eyes quickly and lean forward. I try to get up to use the bathroom but am buckled in and stumble. Just as mom is trying to unbuckle me I lean forward and vomit. I didn't mean to, it was just all too much. The pain, the noise of the plane, the shivering. Everything. Mom walks me to the bathroom. "Okay noodle, relax. Take a deep breath in and out, in and out. Good girl. Does your stomach hurt?" she asks and I nod. "Okay, do you feel like you are going to be sick again? Do you just want to sit here for a minute?" she asks. "Don't know." I manage to get out. "Okay then why don't we head back to Dad. We will be landing in Florida soon, and then you will get checked out by a doctor and when you are cleared, we will go home. I know your brother and sister miss you a lot." Mom says. We walk back to where we were sitting and I take my place in between mom and dad again. Again, dad buckles me in and kisses me on the temple and mom grabs my hand. It only seems like a few minutes before we are getting ready to land.


	8. Journey pt 2

A/N: Clearly I jumped the gun in posting this chapter early. It wasn't done. My apologies. It is done now.

The plane lands smoothly as mom squeezes my hand. Blake reaches up and gets my bag, dad puts his arm around my waist and guides me towards the plane door. Michael gets off and dad lifts me up to carry me down the stairs. We get to the bottom and dad directs me to the waiting car. I lean my head against the cool window, sigh and stare off. I have no idea where we are going, all I care is that I am back in the States.

Elizabeths POV:

She has been so quiet since we started to land. I wonder what is going on in her head. I can only imagine. She won't let go of my hand, and that worries me. Even now, she sits in the car, leaning her head against the window, and is holding my hand. I reach over to rub her back and she leans forward. I hope there isn't a lot of traffic and that the injuries aren't too bad. I really, really want nothing more then to be with my girl on the couch snuggled up watching mindless comedies. Well actually if I had all my babies and was snuggled that would be good too. I miss Jason and Stevie too. We arrive at the hospital through a back entrance and I have to get Alison to pay attention.

Alison POV:

"Noodle we're here" mom says. I'm still zoned out. She says it again. "Noodle, we're here". I nod. She reaches towards me and unbuckles my seat belt. Dad slowly helps me out of the car to a waiting wheelchair. "I can walk" I say slowly with shuddered breath. "I know you can sweetheart, but it's hospital policy." Dad says as he rubs my back. We start to head into the hospital and I panic. Where is mom. "Mom!" I call. "Right here" she says as she puts her hand in mine.

We are brought back to our own room and moms guards take place in front of the door. They make me feel safe. The nurse is helping me out of the wheelchair when the doctor walks in. "Hello All. I'm Doctor Vasco and this is nurse Kelly. We will be here to take care of you until you go home. If you need anything you just press this button right here beside your bed and Kelly or I will come in and see you." He says as he shakes all the hands in the room. "I want you to know that I am the head of Emergency Medicine here and your family will be treated with the utmost privacy. Please make yourselves comfortable. Ma'am there are outlets available in the far right corner should you need to get some work done. We have shut this hallway down to anyone other then your guards, your assistant and three of you. Only Kelly and myself will be able to access this area from our end. Alison, I see you had quite the trip to Cuba, let's get you feeling better." He says. I don't really hear all of that, but the heart and thought behind all of it makes me feel safe as well. "I got a report from the Doctor that assessed you in Cuba. I want to get an x-ray for your arm and shoulder, and a cat scan to check on everything else. Let's see if you have a concussion and have a look at those eyes." The doctor starts asking me questions and I nod where I think I need to. He seems to do a lot and doesn't ask me a lot which is nice. "Doctor, Ali seems to be shivering again. She has been shivering off and on since we got to her. Can that be looked at too?" Dad asks. Kelly leaves the room. Mom sits beside me on the bed and rubs small circles on the back of my hand. It is quite comforting. The doctor says he will be right back and leaves the room. Mom, dad and I are left alone. I let out a big sigh and lean my head on moms shoulder. I am really tired but I know that I need to be awake for the doctor, so I use every remaining ounce of strength in me to stay awake. We sit like this, dad on the chair that he just pulled up, mom beside me with my head on her shoulder when Kelly comes back in. "I'm sorry to break up what looks so comfortable but I have some warming blankets that I want to wrap Alison in and see if we can't get her to stop shivering. Alison please lay back on the bed" she says. I let go of moms hand and I lean back into the bed. I am slowly fading and will need to sleep soon. "I'm tired." I say out loud. "Go ahead and sleep. We will wake you for the cat scan and x-rays in about an hour" Kelly says and heads out. "Promise you'll stay and be here when I wake up." I say to both my parents as they both nod. Mom and dad kiss my head and I close my eyes.

Henry POV:

Elizabeth and I sit silently for about 10 minutes. We want to be sure that Ali is really sleeping. She probably hasn't slept well or at all since the kidnapping, I am glad that she is sleeping now. I look at Elizabeth and she looks as exhausted as Ali is. "Babe, there is a second bed in this room, why don't we use it to take a nap ourselves. We could both use it. Plus with x-rays and everything else we could be in for a long day. Then when we wake up, I will call the kids and Conrad." I say. Elizabeth wheels the other bed so that it is touching Alis bed, I think she has figured out that Ali needs her close right now, and then we both get on. It's a tight fit but we make it work.

-45 Minutes later-

Alison POV:

"Mom" I say as I stir awake. She mutters "right beside you". She sits up. "How are you feeling Noodle?" Dad says as he sits up. "In pain. Everything hurts so bad. Can you get Kelly or the Doctor?" I ask as I feel a tear run down my face. I hear a beep and voice from the wall. " On my way!" Kelly says. "Hello Ali, how was your nap?" she asks. "Okay. I'm not cold anymore. But everything hurts and I feel sick." I say, not bothering to stop the tears that are flowing more freely now. "I'm going to give you some pain meds by iv. Are you okay with needles?" I nod. Mom moves in closer beside me and I put my head on her shoulder again looking away while Kelly puts the needle in. "All done. You did so well Ali. I'm proud of you. The doctor should be in about 10 minutes. We will get in for your x-rays, cat scan and then pop your shoulder back into place, get you all bandaged up and hopefully get you home soon." Kelly says and she turns to leave the room. Again we are left on our own. "Hey, I'm thinking of calling Stevie and Jason. Do you want me to put it on speaker?" dad says to me. I shake my head and close my eyes as I start to rest for the few spare minutes I have. I am woken up moments later by the sudden urge to throw up. "Mo" I say. I can't get the whole word out before I vomit over the side of the bed. Mom runs her hand through my hair to soothe me. Dad presses the call button and I hear Dr. Vasco say he will be right in.

Dr. Vasco walks in and I'm still leaning over the side of the bed. I've stopped vomiting but I still feel sick to my stomach. "Hey Alison, what happened here?" the doctor asks as he walks over to push the call button. "Hey Kelly, can you bring a mop and a couple of basins, Alison is having some stomach issues." he says. "It's not common but sometimes people have reactions to the pain meds. That and the adrenaline that you are likely still coming down from. I'm going to get some anti nausea meds into your system through your iv. Is there anything else that hurts or is in pain or just doesn't feel right?" he asks. "No just my stomach. I just want to go home" I say. "I know. We will be on our way to xrays in a few minutes. You can take your mom with you if you'd like he says as he hooks up something else that I only assume to be the new meds and I look over to mom. "I can't think of anywhere else I would want to be Noodle." she says. Soon Kelly, who cleaned up everything, is back with a wheelchair and mom and I are headed to X-Rays.


	9. Chapter 9

Alison POV

The x-ray goes fine. It seems really quick. They x-ray my arm and my shoulder. Then Kelly is back with the wheelchair and we are heading to the cat scan. "Your mom can't come into this room." Kelly says. She couldn't come into the x-ray with me but I could see her from the door. "Will I be able to see her?" I ask. Kelly shakes her head. "Then I'm not doing this. I WANT MY MOM". I say maybe louder than I should have. "Okay. I will make you a deal, if you cooperate with this then I will put your mom on the speaker and she will be able to speak to you the entire time. You need to be completely still so you can't speak back but at least you will be able to hear her voice." Kelly says. "But only and I mean only if you cooperate." she reiterates. I close my eyes, sigh and nod. "Okay, so get up here please, good. Lay down, good. I'm going to strap you down. It is important that you don't move at all. If it gets to be overwhelming or scary, press this button that i am putting right here beside your left hand. Can you feel it?" she says as she guides my hand to the button. I nod. "Okay in about 1 minute you will pushed into the machine and then you will hear your mom over the speaker." Kelly says as she leaves.

Elizabeth POV

"Alison had a bit of a freak out and so I made her a deal that you would be over the loud speaker. It's important that she doesn't move or else we wont be able to get a clear picture." Kelly said as she guides me towards a little room with a microphone where I can see Ali. "Shes all set. Talk about anything just please don't make her laugh or cry or answer questions." Kelly says. "Hi Noodle. I know that you are scared and tired and in a lot of pain. I'm not going anywhere. Before you know it, you, Dad and I will be back home with Stevie and Jason. We will watch movies, even Clueless for the 500th time. And we can have popcorn and all those bad for us junky foods. And then you will go back to school and the injuries will heal and the pain will fade and everything will be right with the world again. I can't wait. I know that you worry about school but you don't need to. Dean Ward sent an email advising that you will face no academic penalties because of your absence and she says to come back only when a doctor says its okay. Don't rush." I say as I hear a beep. Kelly looks at me and mouths that we are almost done and that I should wrap it up. "Okay you are almost done. I will see you when you get back out here. I promise. Love you." I say. Kelly leaves to get Ali from the machine and bring her out to the hallway.

Alison POV

Kelly wheeled me back to the room while mom followed. Dr. Vasco was there waiting for us. "Welcome back Ali. How did it go?" he asks. "Okay" I say. "Let's get you back on the bed, slowly, good girl. Now, we need to get a cast for your arm. We have some colors for the cast, we have red, blue, pink and green." He says. "Pink" I say. "Good choice." He wheels over my bedside table and Nurse Kelly walks in with all the things needed for the cast. Dr. Vasco is slow and methodical and I can see that he is being mindful of my shoulder. Within moments its all done. "Okay this part is not going to be fun. We need to pop your shoulder back into place. I'm not going to lie. It's going to hurt something awful but only for a moment and then the pain will be gone. Now for this I will need to call in another doctor unless, dad or one of your guards wants to assist." Dr. Vasco says looking to dad. "I will help. Anything for my girl. Always." he says. "Okay Dr. McCord, please stand here and hold the top part of her arm, Ma'am can you please hold Ali's other hand. Ali, you may want to look away. On the count of three, Kelly is going to apply pressure and I am going to move your arm into place. Are we going to fast?" the doctor asks. "No, please just do it" I say, burying my head into moms shoulder. "One, two, three." And it's over. There is no more pain. "Everyone take a few deep breaths. You all did great. Especially you Alison. Now we are going to let the cast dry completely and before you go we will put your arm in a sling. You will wear the sling anytime you are up. You do not have to wear it to sleep or shower. You look exhausted why don't you try and get some sleep." the doctor says. I lean back to lay in my bed and can't help the heaviness in my eyes as I drift off.

Elizabeth POV

"Ma'am, Dr. McCord, can I talk to you over here please?" Dr. Vasco asks. "From what I can see of the extent of your daughters injuries, her best bet right now will just be rest and food. I am going to keep her overnight, so we can observe her and keep her pain managed and then barring any complications, she can be discharged in the morning. I do want her to eat. I don't really care if it's hospital food, or take out as long as she eats. I will be satisfied. I will write out home care instructions for you before you go and leave you with my contact number. I know that Alison is going home to capable hands but can I suggest that when you get home you look into getting an appointment with a therapist. In the coming weeks Alison is likely going to want to talk to someone about what happened and the earlier you can connect with someone the better. If you need recommendations I am happy to provide some in the D.C. area." the doctor said. "I have someone in mind. Thank you though." I said as the doctor left. "Wow, tomorrow. I hope there are no complications. I bet Blake will be glad to go home too. Do you think I should have sent him back the other day with Nadine? I just felt like we might really need the extra set of hands. I guess I should go in the hall and tell him." I say as I walk out to the chairs where Blake has set up a make shift office. He has been in touch with Nadine almost constantly. "Hey Blake, so the doctor said that barring any complications we should be able to go home tomorrow. You will be able to get back to your normal life again." I say. "That must mean that Alison is doing better. That is so great to hear. I spoke with Nadine a few hours ago and she said that deputy Cushing will stay on until the end of the week. So I would advise taking that time to be with Alison while she readjusts." Blake says. "Have you called your family? They have got to be worried about you." I question. "Yes ma'am. I actually got off the phone with my sister about 10 minutes ago." He assures. "Okay, I'm going to go back in. Have a good night" I say. I squeeze Blakes hand and walk back into the room. When I get back into the room, I see the sweetest scene. Henry is sleeping in the second bed, with Ali curled up beside him, the blanket draped over both of them. I take a picture with my phone and then climb into the bed beside Henry and doze off.


	10. Chapter 10

Alison POV

I opened my eyes and looked up to see mom and dad in the bed beside me. Except for my sore arm, I feel okay for the most part. I am starting to get a bit of cabin fever and really just want to go home. I spend the next few minutes, not moving, letting mom and dad sleep when Kelly walks in quietly. "Good morning" Kelly whispers. "Good morning" I whisper back. "How about some breakfast? I have a menu of breakfast options. There's not a ton of options, hopefully one of them will appeal to you." she says as she hands me a menu. I quickly glance over it and I see pancakes. "I'll have the pancakes" I whisper. "Good choice. Be right back" Kelly whispers as she walks out the door. I must have dozed off for a few minutes because I woke up to the smell of pancakes. I am so hungry and they smell so good. "Kelly, is it okay if mom or dad takes me for a stroll around the hospital today? I'm going a little stir crazy being in this room the whole time." I ask. "Well I don't know if that would be possible since Dr. Vasco is probably going to discharge you today. From what I can see everything looks good and there is no reason to keep you. Eat your breakfast and Dr. Vasco will be in to check on you in a bit." Nurse Kelly says as she walks away. I try to move around to get in a better position to eat my pancakes, but wind up waking mom in the process. "Good morning Noodle. How long have you been up?" Mom says while she moves around to kiss my forehead. "About an hour. I wanted to let you and dad sleep." I said. "Well aren't you sweet. Did Kelly bring you those?" she asks. I nod. "Kelly says I may be able to go home today. I am so glad. I'm starting to go a little stir crazy." I say. "Excellent. That makes me happy." mom says. "Leave dad here, I'm going to get some coffee for me and dad and then we will get you dressed.

I'm sitting up, eating my pancakes when dad wakes up. "Good morning Noodle. How are you feeling?" dad asks. I'm okay now that I've had some breakfast". I say as I eat the last forkful of breakfast. Mom walks in coffees in hand. "Hello my loves." she says as she walks over and gives dad a kiss. Dad gets off the bed and pulls the chair beside the bed and sits. Mom walks over, "I caught up to the doctor in the hall and he told me that he is filling out discharge papers and we are going home today." "Home" I say. I start to move to the side of the bed and swing my legs over the side. "You okay, Noodle?" Dad asks. "Yep, just need to visit the ladies room." "Do you want some help?" Dad asks. "Let me try on my own first and I will let you know" I say. I start moving slowly dragging my iv with me as I go and I wince in a little pain. Things don't really hurt right now, I'm just stiff from all the odd positions I've been in for the last few days. When I come out of the bathroom I see mom packing a bag and dad signing some papers. "Hey sweetheart, lets get you changed and get out of here." Mom says with a smile. I am all dressed when there is a knock on the door. It's Blake. "Ma'am, the motorcade is waiting and the plane is all gassed up and ready to head to Andrews whenever you are ready for it. It's nice to see you out of bed Alison." Blake says. Kelly comes in and unhooks my IV as Dr. Vasco hands mom some paperwork. Dad reaches out and offers me his arm to hold onto while I head out to the car. When dad and I get to the door of the room, I stop and look back. As much as I hated being cooped up in the room, I am so grateful that I am walking out of their on my own two legs. I am very aware that it could have gone a much more tragic way.

Once I am buckled into the car, mom, dad, Blake, Nadine and I head toward the airport. I'm sitting between my parents and resting my arm on dads lap. I find myself in need of a nap, so I lean my head on dads shoulder and close my eyes. I have no idea we are from the airport but I don't care. "Noodle, wake up sweetheart, we're at the airport." Mom says. I look out the window of the car and smile.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Sorry I lost my muse for a while.

Alison POV

This plane ride is much better than the last one. It is pretty quick. I sat on the couch with mom stretched out with a blanket on resting while mom rubbed my head. I'm not sure if that is more for me or her. Either way it seems to comfort both of us. Dad is sitting nearby as close to hovering as possible. Blake seems to finally be relaxing. Or at least relaxing enough to loosen his tie a little. Scattered are moms DS agents. I am so thankful for everyone on this plane and for everyone who helped me get here. This is perfect.

"Noodle, sit up please sweetheart. We need to get ready to land." Mom says. At some point I must have fallen asleep. I am a little stiff getting up but I do. Dad grabs my bag and helps me down the stairs to the waiting car. "Are Stevie and Jase home?" I ask. "They are waiting for you. They are so excited to have you home." Dad said.

When the car stops in front of the house I take a deep breath. I have a feeling that I am going to be bombarded with hugs. I also let out a yawn. It's been a long day. Who knew all that resting could make you tired. We walk in the front door and Stevie and Jason come running up. "Easy you two be gentle" mom says as they engulf me in hugs. "We made grilled cheese and tomato soup. Your favorite". Stevie said. "Not hungry. Tired, shower" I say. "Let's go upstairs". Dad says. We head upstairs, slowly but surely. I head toward my room and mom puts her hand on my back and starts to lead toward her room. "Why are we going to your room?" I ask. "Stevie put out a clean pair of pjs for you and I was thinking that you could shower in my bathroom. This way your siblings can use theirs and you can take as long as you want. Let's make sure to wrap that cast so it doesn't get all wet. Here" Mom says as she wraps my arm with a plastic bag. I walk into her bathroom close the door and start to get changed. I look at myself in the mirror and start to notice a whole bunch of bruises and cuts. It makes me start to cry. I turn on the water and head into the shower.

Elizabeth POV

Alison closes the bathroom door and I take a moment. She is safe. She is home. She is in one piece and she is relatively unharmed. I start to change into my pjs being mindful of the shower. I want to make sure that I am here when Ali is done in the shower but I don't want to rush her or anything. I sit on the bed and am about to pull out a book when Henry walks in with a plate of food. "I thought you two might be hungry." he said. As if on cue my stomach rumbles and I smile. Henry always seem to know. He leans forward, kisses my forehead and hands me a grilled cheese. He leaves the other one behind for Ali. He starts to get changed and joins me on the bed with a book. "Hey babe, how long has Ali been in the shower?" Henry asks. "Almost an hour. If she doesn't turn the shower off in 5 minutes I will check on her". I say. I am starting to get antsy, I worry about Ali. Is she okay in the shower has she lost her balance, fallen and hit her head, does she need help and cant bring herself to ask for help? I am brought out of my worry with Ali standing at the bathroom door. "Can you help me brush my hair please? It's too hard to do one handed." she asks as she walks over and sits on the bed. I take the brush from her and start brushing.

Alison POV:

Getting into the shower and the groove of the shower is difficult but I find my rhythm quickly. I let the warm water wash over me. I really hope that this shower can wash away the sins of the last several days. I feel gross from the last several days. I grab some of moms shampoo and take a deep breath, it smells like her. It helps me settle. I slowly wash my hair, it's awkward but I manage to get it done. I rinse my hair and feel the hot water slowly easing my frayed nerves. I feel more grounded then I have in a while. I just stand there with the water running over me for some time before I start to wash up everywhere else. I shut off the water and just stand in the shower. I want to make sure that I don't slip. I get out of the shower, put on my pjs and notice that they smell like lavender. I smile, thinking that Stevie probably washed them especially for me. I grab the hair brush and try and brush my hair. It is almost impossible. I open the door, stand at the door and ask "Can you help me brush my hair please? It's too hard to do one handed." as I walk over to the bed. Mom takes the brush and starts brushing. "Hey Noodle, I brought you a grilled cheese. You should eat a little. You don't have to finish it all." Dad says as he hands me a plate and I grab a piece of the grilled cheese. I take a bite. It's really good. I guess I don't know how hungry I really was. I'm sitting eating my grilled cheese while mom brushed my hair and I start to yawn. "All done kiddo" Mom says. "Thanks mom. Can I sleep here tonight?" I ask. "I wouldn't have it any other way" mom says. Dad puts down his book and is about to leave, "Dad, please stay". I say. "I would love to." He said as he kissed me on the forehead. When mom and I are tucked in bed, dad shuts off the lights and I close my eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Text messages are in italics

Alison POV:

I open my eyes and look around. It takes me a minute to realize that I am in mom and dads bed. I get my bearings, look down and realize that it wasn't a bad dream. I ache all over. My arm and shoulder are bugging me and I feel like I need to get out of the house. I have no idea what time it is, other than morning. I look over to moms side table and I see my phone with a note on top of it. "Thought you might your phone to keep you company. Blake dropped it off this morning. Text me if you need anything or just want me to rescue you for a bit. We both know how clingy mom can be. Love, S". I love Stevie. She knows exactly what I need in this moment. I reach over, grab my phone, turn the volume down low and decide to watch some funny animal videos on Youtube.

As I finish watching the fifth video I text Stevie _"Good morning. Thx for my phone. Going stir crazy and need pain meds."_ Within moments the message shows as read and then Stevie is by my side. She leans over to help me get up. The force of the movement must have woken mom and dad because within moments they are awake.

"Good morning Noodle. How are you feeling?" Mom asks. "All good now that Stevie is here" I say as I take my pain pill and wash it down with a glass of water. Mom reaches over and hugs Stevie. "You're a good sister, you know that right?" She asks as Stevie nods. "Pancakes and strawberries for breakfast? I'll wear the Chef Dad apron." Dad says. I smile. "Mom, can you help me? I need to use the restroom." I say. Mom and Stevie get up and help me off the bed. I take it slow, but I get to the restroom and shut the door. I let out a deep breath. Having my arm in a cast makes everything really hard and it takes a long time but I manage. I walk back out to the bedroom. "Ready?" mom asks. I nod. Mom puts her arm around me trying to lead me out of the room. "I think I can do it by myself" I say. I head downstairs slowly. I get to the bottom to smiles from the entire family and head to the table. I sit down and a plate with pancakes and strawberries is placed in front of me. "Eat what you can Noodle. I also made extras just in case." Dad said. I try to cut the pancakes and struggle. "Can someone help me. I can't hold both the fork and knife" I ask. Stevie jumps in an cuts everything on the plate for me. "When can I go back to school? I'm getting kind of bored" I ask. Mom and dad look at Stevie and Jase and they grab their plates and head to the couch. "So we are going to have you seen by Dr. Moore and then we would like to get you to a psychologist and when they clear you then you can go back" mom says. "Why do I need a psychologist?" I ask. "You've been through a lot and my psychologist, Dr. Sherman is excellent and I'm sure that she can find you someone if she doesn't work for you. Dad and I, in no way think that you are crazy. Dr. Sherman was so good with me after Iran and I know that it's always good to have someone to talk to you." "I don't want to talk to someone. I will be fine." I say. "You need to talk. Let's just try once and if you like her then we can continue and if you dont then we will figure something else out." mom says. I decide that i will just give in. My parents arent going to let me get away from talking to someone. "Fine. When is the appointment?" I ask. "I'm going to call Dr. Sherman and see when she is available." mom says. I sigh and nod as mom takes her phone and walks toward dads office. I get up and head towards the couch suddenly interested in the movie that my siblings are watching.

"Okay, thank you. You too. Bye" mom says walking toward the couch. "Stevie, Jase can you guys go upstairs please. Dad, Alison and I need to talk." mom says. Stevie stands up and squeezes my hand as she leaves. "I just got off the phone with Dr. Sherman, she is available today and would love to chat. Dad and I will go with you. Go start getting ready. Call me if you need help." I head upstairs and try getting changed. I struggle for a few minutes before I give up and text Stevie. _Getting dressed, need help. Mom stressing me out._ I text. _Be there in a sec._ Stevie texts and walks into my room a moment later. Stevie giggles when she sees me. I'm a state. I've got my shirt partway over my head, my good arm trapped in the shirt by my head and my jeans unbuttoned. I look like a crazy unicorn. "oh my gosh, how did you manage this?" Stevie asks. "Would you stop laughing and help me?" I ask. Stevie manages to free me. "Why is mom stressing you out?" Stevie asks. "Shes pushing me to see a therapist and I don't know if I'm ready. I mean I know I need to talk to someone but I don't want to do it today. I feel like I just got home" I say. "She really helped mom after Iran so she can't be bad. Try it today. If it sucks, don't go back. I will be in your corner." Stevie said. I head downstairs. "Ready Noodle?" mom asks. "As ready as I'm going to be" I say. Dad helps me into my coat and we get into the car.


End file.
